PAAK and GPS

[teddy_pendergrass]

Not sure if this has been mentioned before. ( I did try and do a search before posting)

I took my car to the carwash the other day and just took my phone and not the key fob, this is something that I've done at least a dozen times before on short trips to the grocery store and I even forgot my key at home one day and went to work and home with no issues.

This day I pull into the carwash, this is one of those where you pay and use the pressure washers and brush, don't worry I only use the brush on the wheels and bring my own washing mitt to wash. So I turn the car off and it displays a message that the key is not present and that I won't able to restart the car. I didn't think anything of this and went and washed the car. But when I was done the car would not start with the PAAK I even attempted to start the car remotely from the Ford Pass app and it also would not work. I finally texted my GF to bring me the key and I was able to get it started.

The only thing I can think is that PAAK and Ford Pass need GPS to work? I was able to turn it off and restart it multiple times once I got home with the key in the house and the car in the driveway with only my phone, but it did have clear sky access. I've never had a car with this technology so I'm not sure how it really works, has anyone experienced anything like this? Does the car need a clear GPS signal to operate Ford Pass or PAAK?

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[alexgorod]

Regardless of the answer to your question regarding GPS (I don't think it's needed, but it's my guess and not the knowledge), I highly recommend to set up the door key and the backup start code - one day you might not have a GF to bring you the key...

 

[MABachE131]

Restart phone when PAAK is failing like that.

 

[kodiakng]

PaaK doesn't require GPS at all.

the system uses bluetooth (BLE) to communicate between phone and car. that error message comes up when the car has lost its connection to the phone side. as noted above, rebooting your phone is a fallback method to bring it back.

also as noted above: make sure you have a door code and backup start code, know what they are, and practice them every once in awhile to make sure you remember them and the codes still work (there have been reports of updates possibly clearing backup start codes).

 

[mach-ebert]

Here's what I do when PaaK fails to be detected:
1. Turn off bluetooth on my phone.
2. Go into Ford Pass and click on: Controls if using the beta app or Optimize Phone as Key if using the normal app, then select Bluetooth.
3. When it prompts that Ford Pass wants to turn on Bluetooth, select Allow.
4. Wait about 10 seconds and it'll connect.

It seems about 10% of the time my phone doesn't want to play nice with my car and this process fixes it every time. It also is a quicker method than restarting your phone, which will also fix the issue.

 

[Mach-Lee]

That’s why the backup passcode exists, make sure you set one in case PAAK doesn’t work.

 

[teddy_pendergrass]

Appreciate all the responses, but the thing that makes zero sense about all this is it worked fine once I got home and I didn't need to reboot my phone, did rebooting the car fix it?

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